August 2020 Volume 2

MEMBERS SPEAK

Proud to Serve as Your 2020-21 FIA Chairman By Mike Gill

Even recently, I could not have predicted that I would receive a call from the FIA’s Nominating Committee invitingme to serve as board chair. I was very humbled and honored to be nominated, and I have been confirmed by the membership to be the 107th Board Chair of the Forging Industry Association. This certainly is one of the most significant achievements of my career in the forging industry, which began some 35 years ago. I began my career as a young development engineer at Federal Mogul Corporation, developing processes for forging high-strength near net shape parts. I became involved in the FIA after joining LASCO Engineering Services and served many years in the Technical Committee and Plant Engineering Committee. This is my second tour of duty on the FIA Board of Directors. As 2020 stormed in, certain forging markets were already not firing on all cylinders, and thenCOVID-19 came in to impact the economy ‒ and life ‒ even further. As your first ever supplier chairman, I want to assure you that I am fully engaged and up for the challenge that lies ahead. It will be quite a year to navigate, with many of our key meetings cancelled (e.g., Annual Meeting, IFC2020) and our ability to plan future meetings not yet clear. I have confidence in our staff and board to set the course for and lead us through what’s next. Staff is working very hard to provide more virtual meetings, webinars, and other creative ways for us to network. We look forward to once again meeting in person at Forge Fair 2021 in Detroit (May 18-20). COVID-19’s Impact onThe Industry For those who have been personally impacted and lost loved ones or watched family and friends suffer from this awful virus, you have my empathy and condolences. Many forging producers and suppliers were deemed “essential businesses” and were some of the first businesses to figure out the new normal of running an operation while keeping our people safe from the virus. The association responded to the needs of members by sharing information about the PPP program, best practices for COVID-19 policies, reshoring, etc. At least one member stepped up to swiftly facilitate the production of ventilators needed by hospitals. ( Superior Die Set: Manufacturing Mold Bases for Ventilator Parts During COVID-19 Pandemic, page 19 .) I am sure many others helped directly and indirectly in the cause. I recently made my first visit to FIA Headquarters as FIA Chairman and was very pleased to see the staff, like we are doing at LASCO, making a concerted and vigilant effort to protect our FIA employees. One member, who paid the ultimate price of losing his mom and cousin to COVID-19, shared the following with FIA staff: Also, let everyone know that COVID is real. I knowwe have made sacrifices to our livelihoods to accommodate social distancing, but this should be our new “normal” until we can really squash it . That said, I really hope you and your loved ones are healthy and remaining

optimistic. Like our products, forging people are tough and resilient, and that is what I love about this industry. Education and Technology Education and Technology in forging is my real passion. As a longtime Anvil supporter of FIERF, I am very committed to both educating future generations on the technology of forging and attracting young people to the industry. If you are a producer member or a supplier member, get involved in FIERF projects as industry partners and help yourself and the North American forging Industry solve its technology problems. My work with LASCO has given me insight into just how far we can take forging technology. I have seen and been involved in many successful automation projects in North America that have helped producers be competitive by reducing costs and improving quality. Further improvements in controls, simulations, digital twinning, remote service platforms, etc. are being developed to help our members compete. FIA’s recent, excellent attendance at its “Reshoring Now” webinar gives me hope that members will rise up and put this business back where it belongs. FIA and FIERF’s support of recent “metamorphic manufacturing” (robotic blacksmithing) grant programs from NSF via our FIERF Magnet Schools should continue to fill the pipeline with new engineers who are literate in squeezing more production out of our forging shops in the most efficient manner. Finally, I am thrilled FIERF is also supporting community colleges and trade schools with the FIA President’s Challenge Scholarships. In addition to the engineers we hire, our members need strong production and maintenance talent to run our operations. I’ve become more acquainted with my local (Monroe County) community college. I suggest you do the same. I’m pledging $1,500 today to the upcoming President’s Challenge, and I “challenge” you to do the same. This money will go directly to scholarships for local students who are studying manufacturing and bring them right inside my door with a plant visit. What easier way can you bring committed young professionals into your company?

To all members, thank you for the opportunity to lead FIA in 2020 2021. It will be a challenging year, and I could not be happier to be allowed to serve as your Chairman right now! Don’t be shy about getting in touch with me to discuss ideas for improving the association or creating more value for members. ■ Mike Gill, President LASCO Engineering Services, LLC

FIA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2020 84